Method for making irregular shaped CD&#39;s and other playing discs

ABSTRACT

A method of making irregular shaped playing discs to achieve proper balance for playing involves the use of a grid (7) divided into quadrants (1, 2, 3, 4) having squares of a predetermined size. A template (8) is placed on the grid (7) into which a desired artwork (9) is fitted. The artwork may include face of a recording star, holiday character or other desired item. The artwork (9) must be placed within the template (8) so that an equal number of squares is taken from each quadrant (1, 2, 3, 4) of the grid (7) within the template (8). Once the shape of the artwork is determined, the recording medium, whether it be audio, visual or a combination of both, is applied. The visual appearance of the artwork (9) may then be silk screened or otherwise applied to the disc. Once the above method is accomplished, the disc can be used as a master for making a mold to premold other discs or each disc may be cut around the perimeter of the artwork to result in discs in the shape of the artwork.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to playing discs and more particularly to amethod for making irregular shaped discs, such as CDs and DVDs, whichare playable on current recording devices.

Generally, heretofore audio playing discs, such as CDs, have only beencircular in shape. One reason for the latter requirement is so that theaudio playing discs are balanced and play properly while spinning on aspindle of a CD player, turntable or other playing device. However, manypeople, especially teenagers and even others for novelty use during theholidays, desire irregular shaped CDs and DVDs. CDs having the shape andface of recording stars and novelty CDs for the holidays, such as CDsshaped like Santa Claus, or shaped greeting cards, if made by recordingcompanies, would likely be a "hot" item for purchase by consumers. Themajor problem with making irregular-shaped audio playing discs is thatthey must be designed so the center of gravity is in the middle and theCD is balanced so that it does not fly off a spindle when played.

Thus, a need exists for a method for making irregular shaped CDs andother audio playing devices that can still play properly.

The prior art does not disclose any method like the present invention.For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,303,842 issued to Stout on May 13, 1919,discloses a postcard with circular sound recording material on it. U.S.Pat. No. 1,399,757 issued to Emerson on Dec. 13, 1921, discloses atablet having the shape of a character containing a circular recordattached thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 1,479,847 issued to Widmann on Jan. 8,1924, discloses a circular phonograph record attached to a character.U.S. Pat. No. 2,010,867 issued to Kubo on Aug. 13, 1935, discloses apostcard with an aluminum sheet attached thereto for phonographicrecording. U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,691 issued to Gorman on Apr. 12, 1966,covers a receptacle for a record having sound reproducing means on thesurface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,636 issued to Weitzner, et al. on Jun. 25,1968, discloses a video and audio recorded for an optical slide withrecording material on it. U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,539 issued to Lash on May11, 1971, teaches a method of making picture records. U.S. Pat. No.4,213,927 issued to Alberti on Jul. 22, 1980, teaches a method of makinga picture phonograph record. Finally, European Patent No. 514156, datedNov. 19, 1992, teaches a CD package having a card with a printablesurface thereon.

Other more pertinent art includes irregular shaped CDs found on anInternet search using the Lycos search engine which revealed shaped CDssold under the Stargate name. However, the Stargate CDs require at leastthree points of the design reach the edge of a CD and have limitationson playing, such as the CDs cannot be played on all automobile CDplayers or all CD changers.

On the other hand, the present invention provides a method of makingirregular shaped CDs and other recording discs which allows such discsto be playable on all playing devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A major object of the present invention is to provide an audio playingdisc that is non-circular or irregular in shape.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an irregularshaped playing disc that may contain selected artwork on its face.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such an audioplaying disc which can be played on any standard playing device.

The present invention accomplishes the above and other objects byproviding a method of making non-circular shaped playing discs. Themethod involves dividing the circular disc into quadrants and imposing agrid having squares of a predetermined size. Then a template having astandard geometric shape is placed on the grid. The template may takethe form of any standard geometric shape, be it a triangle, square,rectangle, pentagon, hexagon or octagon. Next, a design having aperimeter falling within the template is drawn in a manner such that anequal number of squares in each quadrant of the grid are outside theperimeter of the design. Then a medium, whether it be audio or visual,is applied within a circle having a circumference which falls within theperimeter of the design. Finally, the playing disc is cut around theperimeter of the design. The playing disc may be a CD, DVD or otheraudio or visual playing disc. The design utilized may be visual artwork,such as the face of a recording star, a holiday character or similaritem. The cutting of the disc would be done preferably by laser, butcould also be accomplished by other means or even molded in the shape ofthe design from the beginning.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the following detailed description inconjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and describedillustrative embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description, reference will be made to theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a standard circular playing disc being a compactdisc divided into quadrants and grid;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the standard playing compact disc with aselected template with selected artwork placed therein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a playing disc showing recording lines placedwithin the artwork design; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the playing disc cut in the shape of theartwork.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminologyused in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is asfollows:

    ______________________________________                                        1.              quadrant no. 1                                                2.              quadrant no. 2                                                3.              quadrant no. 3                                                4.              quadrant no. 4                                                5.              compact disc (CD)                                             6.              center hole for spindle                                       7.              grid squares                                                  8.              template                                                      9.              artwork                                                       10.             sides of template                                             11.             beveled edge of disc                                          12.             first recording circular                                                      perimeter                                                     13.             second recording circular                                                     perimeter                                                     14.             third recording circular                                                      perimeter                                                     ______________________________________                                    

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a standard audio recordingdisc, in this case a compact disc (CD) 5 which for the purposes of thepresent method has been divided into quadrants 1, 2, 3 and 4 and a gridof horizontal and vertical lines imposed to form grid squares 7. Astandard compact disc has a diameter of 118 millimeters and a centerhole 6 for holding it on a rotating playing spindle of 17 millimeters indiameter. The surface area of an entire compact disc is 370.72 squaremillimeters and without the center hole is 317.32 square millimeters.Preferably the grid squares 7 would have a size of no more than 2millimeters in order to achieve proper balancing using the method of thepresent invention.

Once the CD 5 has been divided into a grid as shown in FIG. 1, anartwork template 8 as shown in FIG. 2 is selected and placed over thegrid. Preferably, the template 8 would take the form of one of sixgeometric shapes. The shapes could include a triangle, square,rectangle, pentagon, hexagon or octagon, depending on the artwork whichwould ultimately be placed on the disc. The geometric shape selectedwould have a plurality of sides, such as 10. In this case the geometricshape selected, as shown in FIG. 2, is an octagonally-shaped template 8.For the purpose of discussion here, the artwork 9 is a lion. However,almost any artwork or design, including, but not limited to, the face ofa recording star or a character, could be used. The artwork 9 should beplaced as close as possible to the edges of a template 8 so that when adisc is cut, proper balancing will be achieved. The balancing process isaccomplished by calculating the number of squares that would be removedonce the CD is cut in the shape of a selected artwork. In order toachieve proper balance the same number of squares, which corresponds toweight, is taken from each quadrant of the grid. Otherwise, the compactdisc when cut in the shape of the selected artwork may not play in allcompact disc players.

Once the artwork 9 has been sized on the disc 5, recording in thedesired medium, audio, visual or combination thereof, can be placed onthe disc. In the case of a CD, the recording would be placed on the CDin a circular fashion from the center towards the outer edge as shown inFIG. 3. So long as the circles of recording stay within the perimeter ofthe artwork, as many minutes as can fit may be placed on the disc. Asshown in FIG. 3 in the case of this artwork 9, up to a total of tenplaying minutes, the length of three normal selections, can be inserted.The first selection 12 would have an outer circumference of 28millimeters, the second selection 13 31.35 millimeters, and the thirdselection 14 34.7 millimeters.

Once the recording has been placed on the disc, the CD 5 may be cut inthe shape of the artwork 9, as shown in FIG. 4. The CD 5 wouldpreferably be cut by use of a laser guided by a preprogramed computer.However, the disc itself could even be premolded in the shape of thedesired artwork as well, particularly for mass production when it wouldbe cost effective to do so.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in detail hereinabove, all improvements and modifications tothis invention within the scope or equivalents of the claims are coveredby this invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:
 1. A method of making anon-circular shaped playing disc comprising the steps of:(a) dividing atemplate of a circular disc into quadrants and grid having squares of apredetermined size; (b) placing a design on the template of the circulardisc, said design having a perimeter within the template such that anequal number of squares in each quadrant are outside the perimeter ofthe design; (c) applying a medium to be played on the disc within theperimeter of the design; and, (d) cutting the disc around the perimeterof the design.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the squaresis 2 millimeters.
 3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is atriangle.
 4. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is a square.5. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is a rectangle.
 6. Themethod of claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is a pentagon.
 7. The methodof claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is a hexagon.
 8. The method of claim1 or 2 wherein the design is a octagon.
 9. The method of claim 1 or 2wherein the playing disc contains an audio playing medium.
 10. Themethod of claim 1 or 2 wherein the playing disc contains a visualplaying medium.
 11. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the playing disccontains a combination of audio and visual playing medium.
 12. Themethod of claim 1 or 2 wherein the design is a visual artwork.
 13. Themethod of claim 12 wherein the visual artwork is a face of a recordingstar.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the visual artwork is a holidaycharacter.
 15. The method of claim 1 wherein cutting the disc isaccomplished using a laser.